Hernán Oliveri
07/17/2020 - 13:52
- Clarín.com
- Cars
Argentina celebrates every July 17 the National Day of Motorsports in honor of the anniversary of the death of Juan Manuel Fangio, one of the best drivers of all time.
It is 25 years since the death of Juan M. Fangio, one of the best pilots in history. (Illustration: Vior)
During his successful career, the five-time Formula One world champion has raced with an extensive number of cars, from the Road Tourism V8 coupes to numerous single-seaters with which he participated in international competitions.
25 years after the anniversary of his death, at 84, we selected a list of his outstanding machines, most of which were immortalized in the facilities of the Fangio Museum in the city of Balcarce.
Fangio's treasures. With this coupe Chevrolet won its first TC Grand Prix. (Photo: Fangio Museum)
Chevrolet Coupe 1940
It was the first vehicle with which Fangio won a Grand Prize for Road Tourism . Its history is particular, since at that time the "Chueco" did not have an economic guarantee that would allow him to easily get cars.
Advised by a friend, Fangio bought and prepared in his workshop , a Chevrolet coupe , 1940. The money to pay for it should arise from a raffle that had the same race car as a prize.
Fangio decides to leave his almost standard car on the engine side, reinforcing it in everything else, to withstand the long journey represented by the Northern International Grand Prix (Argentina, Bolivia and Peru).
Fangio's treasures. The coupe was purchased with money financed from a raffle. (Photo: Fangio Museum)
During the journey of almost 9,500 kilometers , Fangio had to overcome various difficulties with the "little green cup": punctures, a broken radiator and even a crash in La Paz.
However, with a time of 109 hours, Fangio won the competition with an overall average of 86.2 km / h. That Northern International Grand Prix was one of his most important victories and from that moment on, Fangio and Gálvez (Chevrolet and Ford) began with a dispute that divided TC fans.
With this coupe, Fangio also ran in the Argentine Thousand Miles in 1940 and 1941 (8th and 1st place respectively), "Getulio Vargas" Grand Prix (Brazil, June 1941, 1st place), Carretera del Sur Tourism Grand Prix (9 °), and First Edition of Mar y Sierras 1942 (Argentina, 1 °).
Fangio's treasures. Lethal combination: Ford T chassis and differential, and Chevrolet engine. (Photo: Fangio Museum)
The Bold
"La Negrita" was a true symbol in the sports history of Juan Manuel Fangio, because with it he faced the European aces.
The Fangio brothers bought this "baquet" in Mar del Plata. It had the particularity of having a Ford "T" chassis and differential and a 4-cylinder Chevrolet engine, model 1927.
Fangio's treasures. La Negrita had a power of 90 horsepower and reached 170 km / h. (Photo: Museo Fangio)
At the beginning of the 1947 Season of National Mechanics, that engine was replaced by another 6-cylinder "Guerrero" truck. Due to having a much higher weight, the car underwent modifications to the suspensions, chassis and even the pedals.
"La Negrita" ran four competitions in the National Mechanics category with Juan Manuel Fangio at the wheel, achieving first place (Rosario), two third (Retiro and Mendoza) and registering an abandonment (Necochea).
Fangio's treasures. With this Alfa Romeo 159 he achieved his first Formula One championship, in 1951.
The "Alfetta"
In 1950, Fangio became a Formula One driver by signing a contract with the official Alfa Romeo team, alongside Farina and Fagioli. His second place overall, behind Giuseppe Farina, set the tone for what was to come.
A year later. Fangio faced the season as one of the biggest promises in the category. He did it on board an Alfa Romeo 159, the famous "Alfetta", which carried a huge in-line 8-cylinder engine (1.5 liters), which developed a power of 425 horsepower and could reach 305 km / h.
Fangio was unbeatable . First in four of the eight races (Bern, Reims, Bari and Barcelona), and second in two competitions (Silverstone and Nürburgring) they served for the Argentine to achieve his first world championship, prevailing over the Ferrari of Ascari and Froilán González.
Mercedes-Benz W196 2500/3000. With this model Fangio was consecrated in 1954 and 1955.
The Silver Dates
Mercedes-Benz was the great love of Fangio. Of the 20 competitions he played for the German brand (4 in F-1 and 6 in Sport), the Argentine driver was first on 11 occasions and second in 5 races. He achieved 9 Pole Positions and 9 lap records.
"From the first test in 1954 with the Mercedes Benz, I had the feeling of being on an almost perfect car, one of the kind that pilots dream of racing one day ...." Juan Manuel Fangio once declared.
The Mercedes Benz W196 with which Fangio became world champion in 1954 and 1955 had an in-line 8-cylinder engine and a 2.5-liter displacement that allowed it to deliver 268 horsepower, and which in 1955 would be increased to 290 horses.
The maximum speed reached 280 km / h, although with the passing of the months and after a logical evolution on the engine, it reached close to 300 km / h.
Aboard the faired Silver Arrow, Fangio won in Reims and Monza, twice. (Photo: Fangio Museum)
The " Silver Arrow " as this model was known had two versions: one conventional and the other with fairing bodywork, specially designed to be used on long straight circuits such as Spa Francorchamps, Reims, Monza and Pedralbes.
With the Mercedes-Benz W196 fairing, Fangio prevailed in Reims (1954), Monza (1954 and 1955), while with the conventional monopost he triumphed at the Nürburgring and Bern in 1954, and in Buenos Aires, Spa Francorchamps and Zandvoort in 1955. .
The "Silver Arrow" was removed from the tracks once it was finished in the 1955 championship.
Team change. Fangio joined Ferrari in 1956. With the Maranello team he would get his fourth title as an F-1 driver. (Photo: Fangio Museum)
Lancia Ferrari D-50
Another fundamental vehicle in Fangio's history, since it allowed him to get his fourth title as a driver in Formula One.
With Mercedes-Benz withdrawn from the F-1, Fangio signed a contract with Ferrari to contest the 1956 championship.
That year the Maranello team had seven vehicles. The "Twisty" ran with a modified Lancia, equipped with a V8 of Lancia origin of 2.5 liters and 275 horsepower, which allowed it to reach a speed of 300 km / h.
Lancia Ferrari D-50. It had a V8 of 275 CV (origin Lancia) and reached 300 km / h. (Photo: Fangio Museum)
The car had a suspension system based on a De Dion rear axle, longitudinal lower arm, upper transverse elastic with parallel longitudinal bars -two per side- and hydraulic shock absorbers.
It weighed 620 kilos, 30 less than the Ferrari Squalo used by Peter Collins and about 70 less than the Mercedes-Benz W196. The vehicle had a 160-liter rear fuel tank and two supplemental sides of 35 each.
With the Lancia Ferrari D-50 Fangio won the Grand Prix of Argentina (Buenos Aires), England (Silverstone) and Germany (Nürburgring).
Maserati 250 F. With this vehicle he conquered the Green Hell of the Nürburgring in Germany. (Photo: Fangio Museum)
Maserati 250 F
As an F-1 pilot, Fangio used this Maserati in two stages: the first two races of the 1954 championship, and the 1957 season, which would end up crowning him as a five-time world champion .
The Maserati 250 F was developed based on a Formula 2 racing car. The chassis was originally based on a tubular structure, a multitude of small diameter tubes that made up a very rigid complex to anchor the 6-cylinder 2.5 engine. whose formula was preserved during its five years of production.
Maserati 250 F. During its 5 years of production, the model maintained the 2.5 engine of 275 horsepower. (Photo: Fangio Museum)
One of the characteristics of this Maserati was that its pilots had to drive it having between their legs the clutch with its pedal on the left sector and the brake and accelerator on the right.
Fangio achieved his fifth title at the Nürburgring, two dates before the end of the championship. Thanks to that victory, the third consecutive in the complicated circuit known as the Green Hell, the Automobile Club of Germany named him " Master of the Nürburgring ".